


My Kind of Party

by queen_scribbles



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Banter, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Halloween, THEY'RE SO FLUFFY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 13:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17023452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: I wrote this for a Halloween thing a couple years ago on tumblr and just really love Kaidan and Em's banter so I'm cross-posting





	My Kind of Party

 

“Is this really necessary?”

“Oh, come on, Em, it’s not Halloween without a jack-o-lantern,” Kaidan said with a grin as he centered the large pumpkin in the house’s bay window.

“Yeah _, **a**_ jack-o-lantern,” Emily retorted playfully, tracing the jagged mouth of the one in her lap. “I feel like _fifteen_ might be overdoing it, babe.”

He chuckled and tossed a small stuffed spider at her. “Overdoing it, says the woman wearing candy corn socks.”

Emily caught the spider and shrugged. “If I’m not gonna _eat_ it, I have to pay homage to the traditional holiday treat somehow.”

“Some would argue you really don’t,” Kaidan said, still grinning as he crossed the room and kissed her forehead before taking the jack-o-lantern from her. “Where’d you get those, anyway? I don’t remember seeing them before.”

Emily curled the spider in one hand, the other raking absently through her bangs. “Nora. Bumped into her at the rehab center.” She snorted. “Almost literally. Her dad’s appointment overlapped with mine.”

“How’s he doing?” Kaidan asked as he positioned the last jack-o-lantern.

“Almost done,” she replied, hearing the envy in her voice. She glared at her feet and concentrated until, with an absurd amount of effort, her toes curled and uncurled. _Yay for progress._  “He’s definitely ready to never set foot in the building again.”

“Hey.” Kaidan must have caught something in her voice--or he just knew her too damn well--because he left the pumpkin he was arranging and sat next to her on the couch. “Em, Eric got hurt _months_ before you did. He started therapy and rehab _months_ before you did. Of course he’s going to _finish_ before you do.”

“That’s only part of it,” Emily admitted, playing with the spider. “I know all... all _that_ , but I still wanna be  _done_. And I’ll miss Eric  when he stops coming.”

“Uh-oh, should I be worried?” Kaidan teased, tugging her legs into his lap.

“Don’t worry, he’s not my type,” she shot back, grinning. “I tend to shy away from guys with kids my age. You’re safe, Major.” She reached over and sat the spider atop his head.

“That’s a relief, Commander,” he returned, rubbing her foot. “Ooh, these are soft.”

“Too bad they’re mine, not yours,” Emily said, sticking out her tongue triumphantly. She couldn’t really feel the socks that well, not with her feet, but she’d take what victories she could get.

“You know what else is too bad?” Kaidan whispered, leaning close. The spider slid off, back into Emily’s lap.

“What?” she whispered back, almost instinctively reaching to cup his jaw with one hand.

“I promised Mom we’d be done decorating by the time she got home.” He turned his head slightly to kiss her palm. “We only have another half an hour left.”

“She’s knows I’m distracting....” Emily murmured. “The decorations can wait...” She pressed forward for a kiss.

“You’re wicked is what you are,” Kaidan mumbled, resting his forehead against hers.

“Mm. Should I paint myself green?” He hand sank into the sofa cushions as she pressed against them for leverage. 

“You’re too pretty to be a witch,” he protested, fingers sliding through her hair.

“Only bad witches are ugly,” Emily pointed out in a mischievous whisper.

“Last time I checked, the green one _was_ bad,” Kaidan countered.

“Depends on who’s telling the story...”

He grinned and kissed her forehead. “Wow, someone’s been hitting Mom’s classic movies hard.”

“They only make sense to watch one after the other,” Emily shrugged, idly toying with the spider once more.

“Do I want to know when you held this mini marathon?” Kaidan asked, frowning slightly in concern as he sat back. One hand rubbed lightly along her leg.

“Last night,” she admitted with a sigh. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Em, I told you to wake me if the nightmares-”

“It wasn’t nightmares, Kay.” Emily rested one hand on his arm reassuringly.  “Y’know those weird pinchy-pains Dr. Ahn warned I might get as I work on getting my legs back? Had just a little bit of that. Barely enough to be an annoyance. And you worked so hard yesterday, I didn’t have the heart...” 

Kaidan cut her off with another stolen kiss. “Next time, wake me. Even if I fall right back asleep on you,cuddling and watching classic movies doesn’t sound like a half-bad way to spend the wee hours of the morning.”

“Noted,” Emily smiled. “Now, didn’t you say something about needing to finish decorating...?”

“You are a distracting little minx,” he complained good-naturedly, stealing one last kiss before shifting her feet back to the floor so he could stand.

Emily grabbed the front of his shirt before he moved out reach and tucked the spider in his pocket. “I think you’ll need this. There’s a distressing lack of spider representation along the window valance.”

Kaidan glanced in the direction she’d indicated, then back to her with a grin. “You just want to, um, appreciate the view.”

She smirked. “It’s a view worth appreciating, babe.”

“Touche,” he laughed. “You’re lucky I don’t mind.”

“I’m lucky for many reasons, but that is one of the ones I’m most grateful for. Now get back to work,” she ordered teasingly. “We need to be ready for your mom’s party.”

\--O--

They--Kaidan mostly--finished just in time. Kaidan’s mother thanked them warmly when she returned and reiterated her invitation for them to stay for the party, especially since they’d worked so hard on the set-up.

“Thanks again, Rae, but I have an early doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so I’m probably going to turn in soon,” Emily said as Kaidan helped her from the couch to her chair. “Might watch a movie while I give Mo her brushing.” At the sound of her name, the dog curled in the corner of the living room hopped up and stretched before trotting over. Emily smiled and ruffled her ears.

“We’ll try to keep it down, but no promises,” Rae said with a chuckle.

“Don’t worry, they both sleep like logs,” Kaidan interjected.

 _On a good night_ , Emily mentally completed the sentence. “You have fun, though.”

“Oh, we will.” Rae pulled a pointed black hat from one of the bags she carried and looked bemused when Emily and Kaidan glanced at each other and laughed. “I’m sensing a private joke here...”

“It’s nothing, Mom, don’t worry,” Kaidan grinned. “Just enjoy your party and we’ll enjoy ours.”

Emily snapped her fingers on the way out of the room, and Mo fell in step behind Kaidan. “You know you could have stayed,” she commented as the three of them made their way down the hall. “Just ‘cause I’m going to bed early doesn’t mean you have to, too.”

“I know.” Kaidan paused for a second to let Mo scamper ahead of them to the bedroom. “I want to come with you. Your party sounds more my speed-”

“Brushing the dog and watching a movie?” Emily said skeptically.

“-and I have a bit of a headache starting.”

“Kaidan-”

“Don’t _Kaidan_ me, it’s not a _migraine,_ Em, just a headache. It’s not that bad, I just don’t want to spend the evening in a room full of people and music and flashing lights when watching a movie with you until one of us falls asleep on the other’s shoulder is an option,” he explained, smiling faintly.

Emily pursed her lips, fingers tapping against the arm of her chair. “Are you sure...?”

“I’m sure it’s just a headache,” Kaidan promised, helping her maneuver the turn into their bedroom. “And I’m sure I want to curl up with you and watch a movie.”

“Well, I’m sold,” Emily said, laughing as she caught sight of Mo. The dog was sitting on Emily’s side of the bed, ears perked up as she looked toward the door expectantly. “Someone’s eager. Bet she hid her brush again. Babe, why don’t you pick out a movie while I find what she did with it.” 

“You didn’t already have something in mind?” Kaidan raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing specific, just something Halloween-y. Y’know, monsters, ghosts, vampires, somethin’ like that,” she replied absently, looking around for Mo’s brush. “But not gory.”

“I don’t think we or my mother _own_ anything gory,” Kaidan said wryly.

“Well, that makes your job easier, doesn’t it?” Emily joked. She spotted the dog brush under the bed and signaled Mo to go get it. Mo happily obliged, her tail wagging as she crawled past two dog toys and a squeaky ball to retrieve the brush. “Good girl,” Emily cooed as she emerged, triumphantly clenching the brush handle in her teeth.

“D’you feel like horror or comedy?” Kaidan asked, turning slightly to look at her.

“Seriously, Kay, I don’t-”

“I have it narrowed down to two and can’t decide,” he interrupted with a smile. “So, horror or comedy?”

Emily bit her lip as she took the brush from Mo and ruffled the dog’s ears in reward. “What kind of horror?”

“The synopsis calls it ‘romantic’. Whatever that means...”

She shook her head. “Not in the mood for that one tonight.”

“Well, then.” Kaidan used his omnitool to turn on the vidscreen and start the movie. “ _Bloody Mary_ it is.” He caught the look Emily was sending him and grinned. “What?”

“ _Bloody Mary_? Really?” she needled as she moved from her chair to the bed. Mo scootched over, tail still wagging.

“It’s a _vampire_ buddy comedy,” Kaidan pointed out as he settled on the bed next to her, the dog in between them. “If you want something Halloween-y but not horror and no gore, this is a good choice. Besides, I seem to remember walking in on you watching _Call Me Sally_ once, so I don’t think you’re in any position to critique.”

Emily snorted, beginning to brsh Mo when she butted her hand impatiently.  “ _Once_. When I had almost died and thee was nothing better to watch ‘cause it was, like, a week after the Reaper invasion.”

“Shh, Em, you’re gonna miss the movie,” Kaidan teased, dodging the pillow she tried to whack him with. “This is a good movie. It’s funny, and it has vampires.”

“What more could we want?” Emily joked, leaning over to steal a kiss. 

“Peace and quiet to watch our movie?” he said impishly. Emily rolled her eyes and lightly punched his shoulder, but stayed silent as she continued brusing Mo. It was a funny movie, and she enjoyed it, it was just fun to tease him. 

After she’d finished with brushing Mo and the dog was laying curled up between her legs, chin resting on Emily’s knee--a favorite position for them both--Emily stored the brush in the drawer of her nightstand and pulled something else out. “Almost forgot; I have something for you.”

Kaidan took one look at her impish grin and raised an eyebrow. “Thanks. Or should I be concerned?”

“Gratitude is fine,” she laughed as she handed over the small bundle, wrapped up in a shopping bag.

Kaidan quickly shook it loose and couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Emmy, you shouldn’t have.”

“Technically I _didn’t_ ,” Emily said with a smirk, reaching over to feel the black and orange argyle socks. The black diamonds sported carved pumpkins, and the material felt just as soft as the ones she was wearing. “Nora did, with my candy corn ones, and they were both supposed to be for me. But they’re ‘one size fits most’ and I can only wear one pair of novelty socks at a time, an’ like someone very wise told me recently; it’s not Halloween-”

“-without jack-o-lanterns,” Kaidan finished with her. “Thanks, sweetheart.” He leaned over for a kiss, then traded his plain black socks for the jack-o-lantern ones. 

“My pleasure,” Emily said, smiling broadly as she pulled him in for another kiss. “You think you have enough jack-o-lanterns now?”

He laughed into the kiss at her gentle ribbing. “Plenty. And we have candy corn-” he nudged her foot with his- “and vampires. I think we’re all set.”

Emily snuggled closer, leaning her head against his chest. “I like our Halloween party.”

Kaidan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Me, too.”

With that, they both turned their attention back to the movie. They also both fell asleep long before the credits rolled. As Halloween parties went, it wasn’t fancy. But it was perfect for them.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a Halloween thing a couple years ago on tumblr and just really love Kaidan and Em's banter so I'm cross-posting


End file.
